My wife is almost ready to start taking on clients – looking for advice from experienced freelance bookkeepers.

Navigating the Transition to Freelance Bookkeeping: Seeking Advice from Experienced Professionals

Embarking on a new business journey is both exciting and challenging, especially in the ever-evolving world of finance. My wife, after dedicating nearly two decades to the field of Accounting and Bookkeeping, is about to take the plunge into freelancing. Her extensive background encompasses roles such as a staff accountant and supervisor of payroll operations for a large cable company, as well as managing Bookkeeping for various small businesses in real estate, construction, and automotive sectors. Clearly, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.

Currently, she is fine-tuning her skills and credentials, wrapping up all available QuickBooks certifications, and finalizing her professional website. With an engagement letter in hand and her resume polished, she is on the brink of launching her marketing efforts to attract clients.

It’s important to note that she will not be providing tax services, as she is not a CPA or EA. Her target audience consists of small to mid-sized businesses and startups looking for an affordable bookkeeping solution. Her expertise includes cleaning up messy accounts, generating profit and loss statements, balancing sheets, and identifying cost-saving opportunities. Emphasizing automation, she aims to streamline financial processes for her clients.

As part of her initial strategy, she plans to reach out to local CPA firms to establish connections and potentially collaborate. This brings me to seek advice from those who have traversed this path: What’s the best approach to connect with these firms? Should she opt for email outreach, a phone call, or perhaps an in-person visit? Additionally, any tips on making a strong first impression would be incredibly valuable.

We are considering billing clients hourly, which adds another layer to our planning process. We are also open to any further suggestions regarding client acquisition or general strategies for building a successful freelance bookkeeping business.

Thank you for your insights!